Here are a couple of panels from where she makes the decision to climb.

(As a reminder, this is just a side project that I’m doing in my free time. It’s not associated with my publisher)

We’re closing in on the end. I should have all the revisions made soon, and then I think I’m going to bind these together by hand.

The way I think I’m going to release these at Salt Lake Comic Con is that I may hand-stitch them together, along with several portfolio paintings.

They’ll be signed and numbered in a limited edition release. Most likely there will not be more than 40 all together, so if you’d like to buy one and you can’t be there, be sure to let me know. I can provide a way for you to pay by credit card and I will ship it to you.

I’m debating on whether or not to release this graphic novella as a standalone novella or as part of a collection, which would include a few of my paintings as well.

For SLC Comic Con, most likely it will be a standalone, but afterwards I’m leaning towards the other option.

A question for you, if I were to make a coffee-table quality collection of my work, which would include paintings, sketches, this graphic novella, and had a nice cover, would you be interested in purchasing a copy? If so, let me know in the comments below.

Things are almost finished. I’ve just got a few more frames of Act III left, and then I’ll be working on Act I. (We’re not going in chronological order when we illustrate.)

Getting this ready for Comic Con is gonna be tight. I was hoping to paint a unique book cover for the novella, but it’s gonna be hard right now. Act I is going to take at least the first half of next week, if not the whole week entirely. That leaves me with only a few days to revise and layout in Adobe InDesign before we need to go to press.

If I don’t have time to do a full cover, I think I’m going to put a few of my other paintings in the book so that there’s some finished work for would-be purchasers as well.

This year at Salt Lake Comic Con I will be located in the Artists’ Alley, seated at table “o1”.

As a reminder, this is just a short story that I’m doing on my own. I started it just a few weeks ago and it should be finished by next Friday at the latest.

Originally I was going to make “Short Cut” the story of a mother finding her son. But as I worked out the story I felt it was more fun to make it a sister searching for her brother.

Here she is on the staircase! This is the first panel where she’s simply wandering up on her own.

I’m excited for you to read this little short story. Should be fun.

One thing I just gotta mention: it is so fun to finally bring all the different areas which I’ve studied together. Over the last four years I spent the majority of my time learning how to write creatively. It is much harder for me than drawing–by a long shot! And the majority of my art skills are in finished paintings–i.e. book covers. So, when I reach the end of creating the interiors we’ll get to give that part of the process a go. And right now I’m putting together comic panels and doing finished pencil drawings, a skill I’ve wanted to develop for years.

Really fun to see this all coming together for the first time. And it’s a good little warm up for the larger project I’m working on.

Anyway, check back later. “Short Cut” should be ready to go by the Salt Lake City Comic Con. Looking forward to seeing you all there.

The next day as the young man (who knew none of what had happened) worked in his field the mistress of the brothel came to him and asked how much money he had.

Confused and worried that his love was about to be sold to another city, the young man brought out his life savings and laid it before the mistress.

When the mistress saw how little it was she wiped her eyes and shook her head.

Desperate that he should not lose his sweetheart, the young man went to his cupboard and withdrew all the money he had for food, rent, clothing, and he offered to sell his farm if the mistress would take it.

Seeing that the young man truly had no more, and secretly knowing that the young woman was no longer beautiful enough to serve in the brothel, the mistress finally agreed to the sum—upon condition that he give it all at that very moment and would never speak to the mistress again of the matter.

Overjoyed at this news the young man gave it all away and hurried to bathe and clean before the arrival of his true love.

But when she arrived she came wailing and holding her face in her hands.

The young man sat her down and asked what was the matter.

After a long while, the young woman pulled away her hands to reveal the black scars, and she cried out her fear that now he would no longer love her.

Taking her in his arms, the young man scolded her gently for thinking that he could be so heartless, and said that he would love and serve her gladly all the days of his life.

No sooner had he said this than did the wealthy old man appear at the door.

(Story continues below image)

He smiled brightly at the two and laughed merrily.

Upon seeing the man who had hurt her, the young woman gasped and ran to the corner of the room, and told her lover who the old man was.

The young man, however, did not act angry at all. He saw that the old man carried a good spirit about him, whatever he had done, and so the young man thanked him for making possible their relationship.

The old man held up his hand, telling the two that he was not yet finished. From his robes he withdrew a long wand, the end of which bore a mane of peacock feathers, and waved it over the young woman.

Instantly she was transformed back into the healthy, beautiful young woman she was before.

The young man recognized the wise old man as Lu Dongbin, one of the eight immortal spirits of the ancient world, and the young man led his belle to bow in gratitude before him.

The old man smiled again, and then he vanished with a blessing that so long as their love remained true, happiness would follow them all the days of their life.

Guinevere gets a moment alone in the wood while she and the knights of the table round are a-Maying.

What would it feel like to have the two most powerful members of the opposite sex vying for your attention day by day?

“So it befell in the month of May, Queen Guenever called unto her knights of the Table Round; and she gave them warning that early upon the morrow she would ride a-Maying into woods and fields besides Westminster. And I warn you tat there be none of you but that he be well horsed, and that ye all be clothed in green, outher in silk outher in cloth; and I shall bring with me ten ladies, and every knight shall have a lady behind him, and every knight shall have a squire and two yeomen; and I will that ye all be well horsed. So they made them ready in the freshest manner… And so upon the morn they took their horses with the queen, and rode a-Maying in woods and meadows as it pleased them, in great joy and delights; for the queen had cast to have been again with King Arthur at the furthest by ten of the clock, and so was that time her purpose.”

A children’s illustration sketch for the survivors of the Connecticut shooting, and for all kids who’ve lost friends at a young age.

I was so saddened by this when I heard about it. More than anything, I’m sorry for the children who were there to witness the shootings, but survived. I hope that they are able to put this behind themselves and go on to experience the incredible lives they are meant to live.

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About this Blog

I'm a teacher, storyteller, husband, and father. My last name sounds just like "Zeus", but with a "B". This site is a place to share my (ultra messy) life with you--a journal of the journey so to say. The blog focuses around a few things, but storytelling is huge, and one day I hope to release a heroic epic tale.

Short Stories Progress

Current Rough Draft

22% Complete

650 of 3,000 words

Progress on my current rough draft. No publisher yet.

Short Stories Finished

Ready to submit to publishers

0% Complete

of 30,000 words

(Word count is just a guess!)

Short Story Touchdowns

Picked up by a publisher etc.

0% Complete

of 9,000 words

Three accepted submissions! (Word count is just a guess.)

Novella Progress

My next full-length novella

0% Complete

of 30,000 words

Like WESTLY, but new!

Epic Story

Stage 1 of 5 - Rough Layout/World Building

0% Complete

of 1,000,000 words

An epic and massive adventure. This one could take decades to finish! (Word count is just a wild guess for now.)

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